


Well, It Finally Begins

by playfullips (dessertmeltdown)



Category: Bandom, Panic At The Disco
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-14
Updated: 2012-01-14
Packaged: 2017-10-29 12:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/319792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dessertmeltdown/pseuds/playfullips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brendon is awkward. Spencer mocks him. Things happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Well, It Finally Begins

**Author's Note:**

> This might be the beginning of a bigger work.

There’s this guy in Brendon’s Lit class that he can’t stop staring at. When Spencer pokes him in the shoulder and laughs at him, he absolutely denies that he’s staring. He is staring though, and it’s really obvious. He’s pretty sure the guy knows that he’s been staring. The only way he wouldn’t know would be if he were the most unobservant person in all of Las Vegas. Brendon’s pretty sure that’s not the case. Sometimes the guy looks back at him, gives him a weird smile, and turns back to his notes. Brendon usually feels shame in those moments and at least pretends to pay attention.

Those are the times when Spencer has to put his hand over his mouth in order to keep from interrupting their professor with laughter.

It’s finals week when Brendon finally has a conversation with this guy, and it’s absolutely an accident. Spencer and Brendon are in Starbucks getting the biggest, most caffeinated drinks they can think of to get ready for finals when the guy walks in. Brendon is doing that thing again where he can’t stop staring. He can practically feel Spencer shaking beside him, trying not to laugh. He elbows Spencer in the ribs and looks at the menu, focusing on not turning behind him to stare.

The guy is tall- taller than Brendon would have guessed. His pants are too short, and he’s not wearing socks; Brendon thinks he probably shouldn’t find that endearing, but he does. He really does. He’s _not_ looking. He just noticed because it was odd, and it stuck out, but he wasn’t staring. Not even a little.

“You’re doing it again.” Spencer’s voice is pleasant and amused, and Brendon hates him for it.

“Liar.” Brendon’s thankful that they’re next in line. He doesn’t want the guy to hear them talking and figure out that Brendon’s been staring at him like a creeper for the entire semester.

“You’re pathetic.” If anyone else had said it, Brendon would be insulted, but Spencer always has this tone of _oh you_ with Brendon, that Brendon reads as _you’re lame but you’re my best friend anyway_. He takes that as a compliment for the most part.

They order their drinks and go over to wait by the counter. Brendon is the kind of person that doesn’t go stand off to the side and wait for his name to be called. He stands right at the counter, watching them make his drink. It’s not that he thinks they’re going to screw it up or anything. He doesn’t even find it particularly interesting. It’s just something to watch. Spencer, on the other hand, stands off to the side and waits patiently.

Attractive Guy seems to be like Brendon, and he’s right there. He’s standing beside Brendon, and Brendon feels like the most awkward person in the world. Brendon’s training his eyes on the barista, watching her pump the syrup, and she gives him a look that says _oh you’re one of them_. But it’s so much better than staring at this guy when he’s right. there.

“You’re in my lit class, right?” Brendon doesn’t even register that the voice is coming from beside him or the question is directed at him until he hears the awkward response.

“Nevermind. I guess I had you confused for someone else.”

“What? Me? Oh, no.” He looks up at the guy, and he’s _staring_. He can feel it. “No, I mean, yes, I am. I think. Not that I’ve really paid attention or anything. I mean. You look familiar.”

He glances at Spencer from the corner of his eye. He looks like he’s going to die of laughter. Brendon hates him a little. Or a lot. Where is his god damned coffee?

“I think you and your friend are in my lit class.” The guy repeats, and Brendon feels like a jackass.

“Maybe.” He’s trying to play it cool, and he’s probably failing miserable. The barista calls his name and he thanks whatever god might be out there because Jesus. He tips his cup at Dallon, grabbing Spencer’s drink and handing it to him. “Ready to go?”

Spencer gives him an odd look that Brendon an odd look. “He’s Brendon.” Spencer says. “And you are?” Brendon has no idea what Spencer’s doing, but now his hatred is moving past a little and briskly into moderately.

“Dallon.” He nods.

“Great. Now you two have spoken. I’m going to go find a seat.” Brendon is confused. He thought they were going to get their coffee and head straight to the library. Spencer is acting weirder than normal, and that’s definitely saying something. He nods at them and walks off, just as the guy – Dallon, Brendon reminds himself – gets his drink (peppermint hot chocolate, extra peppermint).

“You’re not drinking coffee?” Brendon doesn’t even really understand the concept. He grew up with parents who didn’t drink caffeine, but now that he’s on his own he can’t imagine doing without its magic.

“Oh, I don’t do coffee.” Dallon shrugs. “Should we find your friend?”

The shop is really crowded, and Brendon can’t imagine that Spencer was able to get a seat. He glances around and doesn’t spot him. “Maybe.” Brendon doesn’t really want to find Spencer. Spencer is going to laugh at his expense, and that’s never as much fun for him as it is for Spencer.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

Brendon looks up at him and just loses it. Full out, cackling loses it. The thing is, it’s not the first time someone has thought he and Spencer were dating. For some reason the assumption follows them around. Brendon doesn’t quite get it, but it always makes him laugh. “No. No, not at all. No.”

“Oh, I just thought. I mean, I see you two around campus. You seem a little joined at the hip.”

“We grew up together. My last couple of years at home were rough. He was there for me, and then we moved in together. But he’s just my friend – best friend, but friend nonetheless.” Brendon wonders if it’s awkward to be having this conversation right near the counter at a coffee shop. No more awkward than trying to have a normal conversation with a guy he’s been staring at like a creeper for the entire semester, though, so it must be okay.

“Right.” Something seems to change in Dallon, then, and it makes Brendon relax just a little. “Are you going home for Christmas?”

“This is home. I mean, Vegas is home. We’re from here. We’ll probably go to his parents’ but other than that, no real plans to go anywhere. You?”

“I’m going to back to Salt Lake City. That’s where my parents live, and they’d throw a fit if I didn’t go back.” A table frees up right next to the wall, and Dallon sits down before anyone else can. Brendon looks around for Spencer one last time and doesn’t see him, so he sits across from Dallon.

“Why’d you choose Vegas?”

“It’s not too far from home. It seemed like a change of pace. Something different. Take your pick.” Dallon seems to be holding back, and for some reason that surprises Brendon. He realizes that makes no sense because he barely knows this guy, unless you count the fact that Brendon has pretty much memorized his face to the point where he could draw it if he needed to.

“I get that. We probably would have gone further. We had plans to go off to LA and be big rockstars, but we couldn’t quite get our shit together.”

“You’re into music?” Dallon is absently drumming his fingers on the table. Brendon tries really hard not to stare at his hands. They’re extremely nice hands.

“I play a couple of things alright. It was really hard to focus when I was younger. I mean, it still is, but it was worse then. I would learn something, get bored really fast, and move on to something else. My favorite is the piano.”

Brendon’s phone buzzes and he pulls it out. There’s a text from Spencer that says _going home, if you get lucky I expect breakfast after you do your walk of shame in the morning_. Brendon almost chokes on his coffee and then slips his phone back in his pocket before something embarrassing happens and Dallon sees the text.

“Is something wrong?” Dallon looks extremely concerned, and once again Brendon is endeared to him. Spencer was right. He’s pathetic.

“No, nope. Everything is fine. Totally fine.” His instincts are telling him to tell a joke or make fun of someone around him, but he hears Spencer’s voice in his head telling him that that is absolutely the wrong thing to do. For once in his life, he listens to that voice.

“Do you want to have dinner Friday night?” Brendon feels like someone has hit him in the head. He’s pretty sure the guy he’s been staring at all semester just asked him on a _date_. “I get it if you’re busy. Holidays and finals and all. I go home Saturday morning, so it seems as good a time as any to ask.”

Brendon wants to say yes. He really really wants to say yes. Which is why it throws him when he hears his own voice choke and cough and then say, “no, I actually can’t.” He can. He really can, but now he feels like he can’t turn back. “I’m supposed to hang with Spencer, so. Maybe when you get back.” Brendon is kicking himself mentally. He is supposed to hang with Spencer. They do movie night every Friday because they’re both perpetually single losers. Bachelors. Whatever. But he’s pretty sure Spencer would understand him missing movie night to go on a date. He’s pretty sure Spencer is going to kick him for saying no.

“Oh, right. Of course. After the break?” Dallon stands and smiles at him, a little awkwardly. Brendon hates his life. “I’ll see you around?” Brendon would give anything at this moment to know what’s running through Dallon’s mind.

“Yeah, after.” Brendon pulls at his drink sleeve. “Bye.” He really hates his life.

Dallon nods and walks off. Brendon fires off a text to Spencer, telling him he’ll be home in a while and not to ask. Brendon’s pretty damn sure he just blew it. Spencer is going to be insufferable.


End file.
